By Yoo Dong-ho
Staff Reporter

A group of National Assembly lawmakers who recently returned from a fact-finding mission in Iraq on Tuesday recommended that a ROK contingent to Iraq should be composed of both combat and non-combat soldiers.

The group’s finding is in agreement with the government’s troop dispatch plan by which combat troops would accompany engineers and medics to protect them from Iraqi insurgents at the same time maintaining order in the region. The government wants to send a total of 3,000 soldiers.

In disclosing the outcome of its nine-day hands-on inspection in the Middle Eastern country, the 10-member delegation said that an additional troop dispatch should focus on U.S.-led rehabilitation efforts under Korea’s own command, independent of multinational forces or U.S. occupation forces.

Survey team leader Rep. Kang Chang-hee of the Grand National Party briefed Speaker Park Kwan-yong about their findings.

``Civic affairs experts will be included in the contingent so as to ensure Iraqis don’t see us as part of the occupation force,’’ Kang said.

Kang also suggested that local Iraqis be hired for stabilizations efforts considering the war-torn nation is suffering from a high unemployment rate.

Kang and the fact-finding team members will pay a visit to President Roh Moo-hyun on Wednesday, national security advisor Ra Jong-yil said. Ra said that Chong Wa Dae will consult political parties before finalizing its troop dispatch plan.

South Korea is likely to send approximately 3,000 additional troops to Iraq to help with the U.S. postwar missions there. No final decision has been made on the makeup of the forces, with polls showing the majority of public is against the dispatch of combat troops.